


time is so cruel (re: without you)

by polaroidexit



Series: until the flowers bloom again [3]
Category: EXO (Band), 방탄소년단 | Bangtan Boys | BTS
Genre: "They Don't Get Together" Ending, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - College/University, Attempt at Humor, Conversations, Dimension Travel, Do Kyungsoo | D.O is Whipped, Fluff, Laundry, M/M, Memory Alteration, Pining, Possibly Unrequited Love, Sakura (Cherry Blossoms), Shoes, Slice of Life, Symbolism, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-23
Updated: 2019-01-23
Packaged: 2019-10-14 22:13:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,358
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17516804
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/polaroidexit/pseuds/polaroidexit
Summary: Kyungsoo feels like he should be waiting for someone.





	time is so cruel (re: without you)

**[109,502,623s]**

Kyungsoo's hand stills when he hears the door of their art club slide open, the brush stopping at the tip of a dark, layered branch.

He looks up, attention being taken off his work completely, to find Seokjin bowing politely toward the other students for his disturbance, in which everybody is kind enough to wave it off. Kyungsoo is still staring silently from where he sits when Seokjin meets his eyes with a sheepish grin while the pink strands of his hair contrast gracefully against his dark eyebrows and doe eyes.

"Hey, hyung," Seokjin greets quietly, trudging to a wavering stop right next to his easel. Kyungsoo can't help but hopefully-discreetly study the other's face; travelling from the fair skin of his round cheeks, the smooth ala of the nose, then to the distinct and sharp philtrum which leads to the quirky, shiny, plump lips. Kyungsoo blinks away with a pounding heart, snapping his absentmindedly gaze back to his painting, unable to meet his friend's eyes.

"Watercolour for this project?" Seokjin asks idly, gesturing to the palette in his hand. Kyungsoo nods, skin still burning and mind fully-distracted.

The room fills with a scraping, sharp sound for a split second when Seokjin drags an extra stool before he picks up the stool, looking slightly flustered at his own disrupting actions. No one minds too much though; they were all adjusted to Kyungsoo's friend who would visit him once in a while, they've grown used to Seokjin's clumsiness but also knew he wasn't the type to cause huge ruckuses. It  _is_ an afterschool art club, people who are free from any activities after the dismissal are bound to visit their friend who's joined the class at some point.

"Want to go get chicken after this?" Seokjin asks as he sits down and Kyungsoo  _does not_ track the movement of his lips as it forms the words. Kyungsoo takes a deep breath and tries to ignore the tremble of his hand when he raises the brush to paint another light layer for the branches.

"It's just your excuse for soju," Kyungsoo teases and is grateful for his steady tone.

Seokjin snorts and rolls his eyes, clearly unaffected. "Well, you look like you need it, old man," Seokjin quips and dodges the elbow jab Kyungsoo sends his way. Kyungsoo attempts his scariest glare. It doesn't work. He doesn't bother to retort on how Seokjin is only a year younger.

They quiet down a few minutes after, Kyungsoo returning back to his watercolour piece and Seokjin going on his phone for a while to kill his boredom. Kyungsoo leans back, releasing a shuddering breath that he wasn't even aware he was holding and examines his work carefully with an assessing eye.

The sky is bright blue in the right upper corner, slowly blending down to a softer colour around the middle and a mix of pale yellow with a dab of light green in the left bottom corner. There are flakes of dark, seemingly floating and gliding through the air with a strong wave of wind following right behind. The extremely thin branches and limbs of the lanky tree is positioned in the center and hanging off one branch is a pair o—

"Are you finished? What are you painting anyway?" Seokjin snaps him out of his thoughts as he leans in to view his finished work.

Kyungsoo tilts his head with his muddy thoughts scattering with bemusement. He honestly thinks confessing that he doesn't actually know, might be a strange answer and may even cause Seokjin to question his mentality or simply his lack of sleep.

So he shrugs instead.

 

**[109,513,423s]**

Kyungsoo scowls at the stupid machine before he decides to have a nice, hard kick at it. Stupid chocolate bar, stupid machine, he thinks as he starts to aim another kick at it. He freezes immediately when he hears a shuffling noise to his right. He snaps his head around to find Seokjin staring right back with wide eyes and a bucket overflowing with clothes in his arms.

They stare at each other for who knows how long before Seokjin speaks up first, surprisingly quite bashfully, "My roommate leaves his dirty clothes literally everywhere."

"I got hungry!" Kyungsoo exclaims in return, flushing red at his lame excuse.

Nevertheless, they both nod understandingly at each other.

"Were you going to kick that vending machine?"

"It swallowed my money," Kyungsoo explains defensively. People kick vending machines all the time, don't they?

"Well, I'm going to…" Seokjin trails off and gestures to the laundry room right around the corner.

Kyungsoo makes a weird noise that cracks at the end and—he really wishes he can just bury himself in the ground. Or have the ground swallow him up. Either way works with his awful, embarrassing self.

Fortunately, Seokjin doesn't tease him about it and gives a soft laugh instead before he trudges over to the laundry room. Kyungsoo go right back to glaring venomously at the vending machine while he listens to the faint sounds of Seokjin putting clothes into the washing machine, the light beeping of the buttons and then finally, the starting sound of the washing.

Kyungsoo looks up when the other walks back into sight and—and Seokjin isn't wearing any shoes. "Why are you barefooted?" Kyungsoo asks a bit incredulously.

"Oh! I…I guess I forgot?" Seokjin answers meekly, frowning at his own feet as if he doesn't know why either. Seokjin doesn't look to be the type of guy that just forgets to wear shoes.

Seokjin blinks several times before he abruptly looks up, doe eyes meeting Kyungsoo's dark ones shyly.

"So you…you want to get food?"

Kyungsoo gives a blank stare back at the other, the gears in his brain officially burning out. Seokjin isn't asking him out on a date. He needs to get it together.

"S-Since you said the machines ate your money, y'know. And I did mention getting chicken with you earlier today and—I-I just thought that—I don't know, we could get food now? I'm hungry as well—so, I don't know," Seokjin babbles on, rubbing his neck aggressively with a blush working its way up his neck.

"Sure," Kyungsoo replies dumbly.

 

**[109,510,713s] _interlude_**

"Shh, sh-shhh—" Seokjin stage-whispers, holding his index finger sloppily against his lips and breaks off in a fit of windshield wiping, looking absolutely hysterical. Kyungsoo furrows his eyebrows with dismay and admonishes Seokjin with a slap to his shoulder.

"You're going to get us reported," He hisses yet he still follows Seokjin through the bushes and _breaks into the pool reserved for the swimming club_. That's alright, people make mistakes like this in their lives all the time, right? Kyungsoo breaks out into a cold sweat.

"No, n-no," Seokjin hiccups and staggers over to the water that's glittering under the moonlight, making the rest of the giant building glisten. "We're not gonna get arrested, live a little!" Kyungsoo doesn't bother correcting him with the  _reported_  and the  _arrested_  part because honestly, he thinks they're going to get the latter.

"C'mon, let's just take a little dip," Seokjin announces out of the blue and oh my god he's taking _hisclothesoff_ _—_

" _No—_ " Kyungsoo barely gets out before a big splash resounds throughout the entire place and the water dribbles across his face, which he wipes it away hastily once the entire situation registers through his brain. "Seokjin!"

Seokjin responds by surfacing in the water with squeaky laughter and cheeks that are rosy red from the alcohol. "Come join me, hyung," Seokjin drawls out the  _hyung_ in a persuasive manner, eyes glinting mischievously and smile getting wider. Kyungsoo shakes his head at the offer and glances around with nervousness before Seokjin speaks up again, "Hyung, I have to tell you something."

Kyungsoo turns his head back to stare into Seokjin's glittering ones that shine with so, so,  _so much_  gold specks. "What?"

Seokjin manages to gesture him over while floating and calls him over with a serious yet determined tone, "Come closer, it's something important." The temperature drops and the atmosphere turns momentous all of a sudden, causing an uncomfortable shiver to go down Kyungsoo's spine. Time slows and all Kyungsoo could focus on is how Seokjin looks so beautiful with his dyed hair wet and flipped back, neck full of shimmering drops and insanely broad shoulders stand out the most in a perfect kind-of-way.

Kyungsoo finds himself stepping closer to the edge and just as he's about to open his mouth, the world tilts and blurs up as something — a-a hand?! — grabs him by the ankle and pulls.

Despite how freezing the water feels, his body heats up at the memory of Seokjin's hand on his ankle.

 

**[ **109,507,116s]****

Kyungsoo grunts when Seokjin's leg hits him in his left calf once again and he stops to readjust the other properly on his back, struggling due to how the shirts refuse to obey because they're both soaked. "Mmnn, you're no fun…" Seokjin grumbles near his ear, cheek rubbing against his neck that embarrassingly gives him tingles.

"Y'know…I can't wait for spring…" Seokjin mumbles, drowsiness seeping into his voice as he leans his heavy into Kyungsoo's shoulder. Kyungsoo hums back, preoccupied on trying not to topple both of them over onto the concrete. "The cherry blossoms would look pretty…" Seokjin continues on and Kyungsoo can practically hear his stupid grin and dreamy eyes.

Kyungsoo pants and huffs with a crease between his eyebrows and groans loudly when his legs start to get sore. He rolls his eyes and lets out an impatient breath, wishing they were back in their respective dorm room already. "…just like you…" Kyungsoo barely hears Seokjin mumble.

Just when he thinks Seokjin has fallen asleep, the younger starts talking once again, "Kyungsoo…" Kyungsoo doesn't mind the informality because honestly, he and Seokjin have known each other for like three years already and age really didn't matter to him in this case.

"Hm?" Kyungsoo confirms that he's listening and he hears Seokjin let out a little chuckle.

"You're a good friend," Seokjin slurs cheerily and something in him breaks.

"Am I really?" His voice falters this time.

"Yeah…" Seokjin utters and wraps his arms around Kyungsoo's neck slowly. "You're nice and kind and I love you. I'm glad I met you, Kyungsoo."

Honestly, Seokjin kind of sounds like an asshole to him at that moment because it feels so comforting yet his heart is breaking into a million tiny pieces. It doesn't really matter though. None of it does, Kyungsoo thinks in the very second he loses his balance and everything just  _falls_. He squeezes his eyes shut, bracing for the impact.

**[#!%@$?*]**

Kyungsoo lets out a breathless gasp when his back collides with something cold and stone-hard. He immediately snaps his eyes open right after, jaws slack in confusion as he scans his surroundings. It's the school hallway, he realizes and struggles to stand up with his hands fumbling around on the white tiles patterned onto the floor.

"I'm so sorry, are you okay?" A low voice travels to his ears and he looks up to find a guy that's dressed casually in a hoodie, ripped jeans and his hair dyed blonde. Kyungsoo instantly takes notice of the other's unique eyes with dark circles under them.

"It's alright," Kyungsoo groans out, blinking several times to get his brain working. The stranger holds out his hand then, which he accepts tentatively. "Are you injured anywhere?" The other asks, dark eyes looking over Kyungsoo's figure from head to toe.

He feels self-conscious at the gesture even though the other means well and to be polite.

"No, I'm fine, I'm okay," Kyungsoo assures with a quick smile, his hands patting the dirt off his clothes. The other looks at him with an unreadable expression before he nods curtly and walks past him.

 

**[37,931,456s]**

For some bizarre reason, Kyungsoo finds himself standing in front of the drama room after school one day. His hand hovers hesitantly over the door handle. He couldn't, for the life of him, figure why he's even here in the first place. Why did he come here? Did he sign up for some volunteer work? Surely he would remember if he actually did.

He glances from side to side, only to meet with the wide, vacant corridor from both ways. He focuses back on the door before him and flinches violently when the door swings open with a guy following right after, who also jumps in surprise at the sight of him.

A thousand excuses ran through Kyungsoo's mind but none comes logical and reasonable enough for it to leave his lips, resulting in him standing awkwardly like a statue when the guy greets him with a friendly smile, "Hi."

"Um, hello," Kyungsoo replies, biting at his lip. God, why did he not leave when he had the chance? Now he has to full-on interact awkwardly with someone.

"Are you…here for someone? Should I get them for you?" The guy offers, glancing at the room behind him and back at Kyungsoo uncertainly. Kyungsoo opens his mouth but no sounds dare to come out. What is he going to say anyway? He doesn't even know the reason himself so why is he supposed to explain to someone else?

"Yah, Jaehwan! Stop flirting with anyone you come across!" Kyungsoo shrinks back at the sudden shout that comes from inside the room. "I'm not flirting!" The guy — Jaehwan — shouts back with an irritated frown. Jaehwan turns back to him with wide eyes and repeats the same thing to Kyungsoo before he cringes when another voice yells in an oddly fond tone, "Quit flirting and practice your scenes with Seokjin already, flower boy!"

Something sounds familiar to him and a nagging feeling gathers in his gut but Kyungsoo just can't put his finger on it. His eyebrow twitches at the weird feeling.

"Uh…" Jaehwan breaks him out of his daze and Kyungsoo sees the helplessness shown clear on his face.

"Jaehwan, run the lines over with me once more?" A sweet voice calls and Kyungsoo catches in the natural timidness in the strange voice that he's definitely heard before.

But that isn't anything weird, it's simply something everyone experiences in a lifetime since you would have to routinely walk through the hallways to your next class in school or to your workplace. Your ears will instinctively catch all sorts of voices during those times.

Jaehwan stares at him, looking unsure of what to do. Kyungsoo stands frozen in his spot like the lost cause he is. "Sorry, I have to go practice a scene. Um, you could come in and watch while you wait if you want? I don't know, you look kinda lost," Jaehwan says with a polite smile and then goes back into the room, making sure to leave the door open for Kyungsoo, who stands like a dumb egg by the doorway.

 

**[12,040,352s]**

Kyungsoo yawns, stinging tears gathering at his eyes for a moment before his gaze turns dull once again. He blinks and attempts to count the number of vehicles that pass him. Boredom wins instead.

One of the most boring things in life must be waiting for the bus. It must be in the Top 10 of The Most Boring Things in Life.

It's even worse because there are these two girls standing beside him, that are gossiping on and on. Like, who even does that so fucking early in the morning? Why can't they just shut their mouth for a minute? He wants to scream in frustration. But that would take a lot of energy. Which he doesn't have.

He needs a cup of coffee. Desperately.

If only they invented a virtual reality feature that would create a cup of warm, strong coffee that will appear in your hand when you simply wish for it. Would that even taste good though? Would anything taste good if they were to appear that way? Perhaps not even by technology; maybe the future is far off from everybody's imagination.

Jesus Christ, he's going to use up all of his mental energy before he even gets to his class. If he manages to survive the ear-piercing chitter-chatter the girls are producing at light speed right next to him first.

He wants coffee so badly, he thinks bitterly as he tilts his head up to take a look across the street. His heart skips a beat, anxiety crawling up his chest a little before settling down again when his eyes meet someone else's.

Kyungsoo glances right back down and blinks a few times. Wait. It's someone he knows. He sneaks another glance and relief sets in him when the person isn't looking his way anymore. But the face does look familiar. Is it someone from his school? For a second, Kyungsoo shakes that thought away because mostly everyone from his school takes the same bus. But then he notices that the guy doesn't look like he's waiting for a bus, but for the crosswalk instead.

So that guy is probably coming over for this stop as well, he concludes.

Kyungsoo plays with the helm of his shirt when no name pops up in his mind. Maybe he's mistaking him for someone else? Maybe it's just a classmate, that would explain the familiar face, he thinks and sighs in exhaustion.

He's definitely hallucinating now. Ideas are now playing with his head now. He needs coffee. Before he loses his mind.

 

**[0s]**

A distant frightening sob wakes Kyungsoo up. His arms flail frantically and his toes curl painfully at a soft material beneath him. "—soo! Kyungsoo!" Kyungsoo flutters his eyes open, his vision filled with blurriness stops him from seeing who it is in front of his face.

"Kyungsoo." He realizes he's crying a moment later when he takes in the dry sensation at his eyes and the warm tears that are still by his chin. It also strikes him a minute later that he had been the one screaming, if not by how his throat burns with soreness and dryness.

"It was just a nightmare, it's okay." He recognizes the voice as Yixing and his body relaxes at the soft and soothing tone. His hands go up to embrace Yixing in a tight hug and earn one right back.

"You're safe. I'm here, Chanyeol's here, Jongin's here. You're here. You're safe," Yixing whispers gently.

It lasts a while before they separate from each other. Dry tears are visible upon Kyungsoo's face and Yixing looks at him with concerned eyes. Kyungsoo takes a deep breath before he sits up properly on the sofa—sofa, he's at home, he's with everyone, it was just a nightmare.

"I will go make a warm cup of tea for you," Yixing speaks serenely before he crosses the dimly lighted living room and shuffles quietly into the kitchen.

"You want to talk about it?" Kyungsoo turns to find Chanyeol sitting on one of the stools by the island. He also spots Jongin all curled up on one of the dark armchairs just right beside his sofa.

"You don't have to," Jongin adds on understandingly.

Kyungsoo shakes his head. "I don't even remember it, to be honest," He confesses. Jongin stares back blankly in silence but Kyungsoo can tell that he isn't convinced.

"Really," Kyungsoo assures. He really doesn't remember.

 

**[163,416s]**

"Hey, hyung," Sehun greets and sits beside him. Kyungsoo nods back and doesn't take his eyes off the white scenery.

"Aren't you cold? You should wear more, hyung," Sehun rebukes with a tight lip and offers Kyungsoo his scarf.

"Stop your merciless winds then," Kyungsoo jokes yet he still obediently accepts the scarf. Sehun scoffs with a roll of his eyes. The two of them then settle into a pleasant silence, completely mesmerized by the landscape before them.

"Hyung."

"Hm?"

"You think I'm capable of blowing some cherry blossoms all the way here?"

"Then you would've done so long ago."

"Maybe I thought of the idea just now."

"Well, then you're just stupid." 


End file.
